Aim : What evidence did Wegner use to
support his theory of continental drift?
Do now:
Draw a convection current and explain why this happens?
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Noticing Deeply : Animation
• http://www.suu.edu/faculty/colberg/hazards/
platetectonics/18_Pangaea.html
• How do the continents change over time?
• List two specific changes you saw in the
animation.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
In 1912, German scientist, Alfred
Wegener proposed:the theory of
continental drift.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Wegner’s Theory of continental drift:
The continents were once a single
landmass, that eventually split & drifted
into today’s positions
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Pangaea- name given to the single
joined land mass.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Pangaea about 200 million years ago, before it began breaking up.
Wegener named the southern portion of Pangaea Gondwana, and
the northern portion Laurasia.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
The continents about 70 million years ago. Notice that the
breakup of Pangea formed the Atlantic Ocean. India’s eventual
collision with Eurasia would form the Himalayan Mountains.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
The position of the continents today. The continents are still
slowly moving, at about the speed your fingernails grow. Satellite
measurements have confirmed that every year the Atlantic Ocean
gets a few inches wider!
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
What proof did Wegner have?
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Evidence for Continental Drift
•
•
•
•
•
Continents fit like a puzzle
Rock evidence.
Fossil evidence.
Climatic evidence
Glacial scars “striations”
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Continents Fit Together Like a Puzzle
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Rock Evidence
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
The rock strata (rock layers) on the
eastern side of South America match the
rock strata on the western side of Africa.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Diamond mines in Brazil contain the
same size & quality diamonds as
mines in West Africa.
Diamonds mines here
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Mountain ranges in the United States
match mountain ranges in Greenland
and in Europe.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Fossil evidence:
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
fossils of extinct species are found in
sedimentary rock layers on different
continents.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
These animals were fresh water
animals they couldn’t have swim
the Atlantic!
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Glacial Scars
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Evidence of glacial deposits
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Glaciers (miles thick “rivers of ice”)
leave striations (scars) on the
continents as slowly move.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Climatic evidence of continental
drift:
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Climatic evidence: coal deposits in
Antarctica.
This is Coal Sack Bluff, Antarctica.
It was once a rain forest.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Coral reefs in the Arctic Ocean
This is the arctic ocean, coral reefs were found here.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
The Theory of Continental Drift
had a fatal weakness.
Wegener couldn't answer the
fundamental question:
What kind of forces could be
strong enough to move such
large masses of solid rock over
such great distances?
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Wegner Couldn’t
• explain why the continents drifted.
• explain how the continents were drifted.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Activity
• Complete worksheet.
• Work with a partner and your notes to answer
the questions.
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Summary…
• What we have learned from Wegner but have
not yet explained why it happens…
What evidence did Wegner use to support
his theory of continental drift?
Aim: How do we complete our lab on
continental drifting?
• Do Now explain the picture shows.
Aim: How do we complete our lab on
continental drifting?
• Complete Worksheet.
Aim: How do we complete our lab on
continental drifting?
• Do Now:
• Gather materials
• Try to arrange the different pieces of the
puzzle so that the evidence matches. (5
minutes)
Individual Work
• Students will work on completing a lab on
continental drift. Students will use the
following map to help them correctly identify
where the various fossil evidence is located to
create the super continent of Pangea.
Follow this as a
guide.
Independent work
• Complete lab on
continental drift.
Short Writing Assignment
• Theory of Continental Drift
• 1) Explain what is it. Who came up with this
idea.
• 2) What evidence did he have? ( Use your
puzzle to help)
• 3) Why was this theory not accepted.
HW
Regents Questions
The End
Now, color and label your Lithospheric Plates Worksheet.